Fire And Gold
by hopefulmemoir
Summary: Leo reflects on his relationship with Hazel. Realization dawns on him and he comes to terms with what his epiphany means for both of them. Leo/Hazel.


This is Leo/Hazel.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters unless otherwise specified. This story is not for monetary gain.

Enjoy!

~o-o-o~

Leo watched Hazel silently as she made coffee. She was chatting idly about work, but the son of Hephaestus wasn't paying much attention to her words. Hazel was a beautiful woman. She had smooth, dark skin like perfectly tempered chocolate, coarse, curly, dark brown hair that was normally pulled back so as not to hide her warm face. Her eyes were pools of gold, swirled with flecks of green, and sparkled like the precious metal when she smiled. She had filled out over the years and grown into a curvy woman. She had some weight to her after years of fighting and that only added to her beauty.

Hazel was an angel in this world and Leo was blessed to have met her. She always looked for the good in people and made an effort to befriend all whom she met. Her gentle personality made her easy to get along with. She was never boring either. Hazel was always eager to spark up conversations, willing to put her opinion in while open to others' ideas. The daughter of Pluto was humbling, and every bit the perfect woman Leo had always wanted.

Yet she was not his. Instead, she was with Frank, the easy-going Canadian. Leo tried to hate him, but he was such a good guy. Frank was brave, patient and always eager to please Hazel. He obliged her whenever she asked anything of him, without being so submissive as to make the relationship boring. There were times when he was easy to tease, but in the end Frank was a fantastic man. It made Leo feel so conflicted. He loved her with all his heart and wanted her to be happy. It was unfortunate her happiness did not guide her to him.

The son of Hephaestus would never wish ill will on Frank; the Roman was a good friend and after all the troubles they had been through, Leo wouldn't dream of hurting him, especially if his pain meant Hazel would hurt too. The Greek sighed longingly. His friend looked at him with a raised brow. Leo shook his head, smiling softly, and informed her that he was tired. The shop he worked at was busy, so the lie was feasible. Hazel returned his half-hearted smile with a cheerful giggle and she told him he could go take a nap. Leo opted to accept the request and made his way to the guest bedroom.

Maybe he should just tell her. If she knew how he felt…would that make things better? He'd never bottled it up like this before, which only drove home how hopelessly infatuated he was with her. Would she reject him? Would she hate him? Would she…accept him? Leo didn't want to come between Frank and Hazel…or maybe he did. A chill went down his back.

The door opened. Leo was standing next to the bed. He turned towards her, dark eyes wide. Hazel sighed. Leo felt pain grip his heart. She didn't need to tell him why she was here, her eyes told him everything. She knew he loved her. He asked if she wanted him to leave. Hazel shook her head; it hurt him to see her so morose. If things had been different, she began to say, and he cut her off with a sharp don't. His tone came out harsher than intended, but he didn't need to hear he had a chance in some alternate dimension. The Greek moved towards her, and then past her. She stopped him by grabbing his arm. There was hidden strength beneath her dainty fingers; an exhausting war forced all of them to grow up so much faster.

She didn't want things to change between them, she pleaded, but things already have and they both knew they couldn't go back. There was nothing left for them to do. Leo doubted he would see her anytime soon. He went to the front and pulled on his shoes. She begged him to stay, but he refused to look at her. She started shouting and still he refused to meet her gaze. He was being a coward; running wasn't going to solve things. Leo laughed hollowly. Her words felt like needles piercing his heart. He knew running didn't help. He wasn't running. He was moving on. Staying here with her meant watching her as she smiled and laughed with another man; loved another man. Leo would not remain alone. He was better than that. He deserved better than that. It didn't matter that the woman who made him realize this was the one who was keeping him from his own happiness, only that she did.

Leo opened the front door and her hand came down on his shoulder. Her grip was harsh. What more did she want from him? She already broke his heart; did she have to maim it too? The Greek turned to snap but found soft lips against his, cutting him off. The door closed behind him when she closed it and then backed him against it. Leo pushed her off. Hazel started sobbing. She blubbered about Sammy, about her life in New Orleans. Her mother had taken her away and she felt so awkward here. Leo reminded her of the past, and the son of Hephaestus realized their presence in each other's lives was detrimental. Neither gained anything except mockery.

They couldn't see each other anymore if they hoped to move on. Leo lowered his gaze as Hazel cried. He wanted to consolidate her but knew he would only make her pain worse. All the smiles she sent his way, her sweet words and soft laughs, they were all a lie. Leo's love was once again thrown back, a curse to the person he cared for, rather than a blessing. The Greek bit his tongue to hold back his own tears. He murmured a goodbye. She started screaming again. Hazel would never hurt him though, not physically. She was too nurturing for that. He opened the door again. Despite her shrieks she didn't stop him and he closed the door on her.

For all it was worth, Leo enjoyed the time he spent with Hazel. The Roman had shown him more kindness than any other he had met. She gave him motivation to succeed and thrive, even after the hardships they had faced. Had he not met her, Leo doubted he would have kept his sanity. It was all for not now. As Leo walked down the empty sidewalk, he chanced a glance back at the house. Some sick part of him wanted her to run out and catch up with him. He would go to her and they would live off the pain they caused each other, never able move on as they reached a stasis of agony. It would be such a destructive relationship. Leo would shatter Hazel's mind, and Hazel would tear apart his heart. Something dark in Leo wanted that, because he wanted her, yet no good could come from it.

He turned away and continued down the street as brisk air bit his skin. The son of Hephaestus could see his breath on the wind in the cool autumn air. He laughed to himself, softly at first, until it burst from him in loud cackles. His eyes stung, he couldn't breathe, but he kept laughing at himself. The pain brought him to a halt. He leaned on his knees and tried desperately to calm down. A tear escaped and slid down his cheek. He clenched his jaw until all humour left him, replaced with bitter loneliness. Somehow, that was better than the emotions Hazel made him feel. Leo straightened. He righted his clothes despite the uselessness of it and continued home. Thoughts of his friend, his ally, his love were at the forefront of his mind, and he would allow himself to think of her until he returned home. Once he did, he would eradicate them from his mind. He wouldn't, couldn't let her be the centre of his world. Not if he hoped to move on and grow and _break free_.

It felt like an eternity before he reached his building. His hand landed on the doorknob, and he suddenly realized she was there, behind him. Leo went rigid. She was at the end of the path, on the sidewalk, waiting. If he turned to her, he would run to her and he would never escape. The Greek closed his eyes, trembling now, as he turned the knob. The ball was in his court. Hazel was letting him decide. He slowly opened the door and crossed the threshold into the building. When the door finally closed Leo shrugged his shoulders and let out a long breath. He leaned back on the wood and let his head hit it with a soft thud. His dark eyes were narrowed at the wall ahead of him. The son of Hephaestus smiled sadly and pushed off the door.

The demigod gripped his fists and stopped. He turned back and set his hands on the door. He couldn't see through the wood but he knew she was still there and his gut wrenched in dismay. Internally, his heart was screaming at him to go to her, to hold her and kiss her and love her for the rest of his life. Why did she have to make this so much harder? The Greek gritted his teeth and started up the stairs. He would not let them fall. Leo had to step up and push her away, for both their sakes, to save both of them from internal torment and destruction. He reached his apartment, stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

Leo never thought about her again.

~o-o-o~

_AN: This was inspired by this quote: "If you love two people at the same time, choose the second, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn't have fallen for the second." – Johnny Depp._

_HM_


End file.
